The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-10-27
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pOrtat.On the better 1t suits them, and |
in this way many millions are cxtorted
from the taxpayers every year, in ad- |
dition to what is paid the Government.
This may be protection to a few
thousand manufacturers, but it is death
TO the remainder of the American peo-
pie.
The truth is, the word protection"
is an invention of the Devil to deceive
the reople. Its meaning in English is
extortion and robbery.
know it is claimed by protectionists
that the tariff duties are not paid by the. |
consumer. |
In tne name OF common sense who
then does pay them? Surely the inn |
porter is not phiianthropic enough to
donate the duty to the Government.
He buys the article at the lowest |
price possible to leave a margin of pro-
fit, and unless he adds the duty he |
must sell at a loss. The retailer must |
do the same or go into bankruptcy, and
the result is the consumer must pay it,
and does pay it.
Nv sood friend Gov. Foraker denies
all this, and in his article i'm the August
Forum says: "The Old stock'argume
of the free trader, that tariff duties are
tax on the consumer, has been 80
completely exploded by practical re-
suits that it is no longer heard of, except
only from those who obstinately refuse
to see the conclusive demonstration to
the contrary that abound on every
hand"
Those of us, however who believe to
the contrary are in very good company,
as VII be- seen from I; port ON man
ufactures by John Quincy Adams, the
woT'fy namesake of the distinguished
gentleman who addressed us to-day,
AMI who discussed this point SO fully
that it is hardly necessary for me to re-
Ter to it again.
Mr.. Adams says: "The doctrine that
duties OF import cheaper the price OF
the article seems to conflict with the
first dictate of common sens,. The
duty constitutes part of the price OF
ii G whole mass of the article in the
market. 1t is substantially paid upon
the art Gle Of domestic manufacture as
we'll as upon that OF foreign pro iuction.
Iron one it is bounty, upon the other
urden; and the repeal OF the tax
must operate as an equivalent re,luc-
ton of the price OF the article, whether
| foreign or domestic. We say, so long
| as the importation continues, the duty
lnnst be paid by the purchaser OF the
| article"
Some protectionists, however, do not
| deny that the consumer pays the duty.
but claim that hy so doing the farmer
builds up manufactures who create
| market for his farm products at prices
| SO mu,h higher thaa he would other
wise get that he can afford TO pay the
| duty and make money by it.
Let us look at this in the light OF
| eta istics,
There are now Go,o1n, 900 OF people in
| the Uni ed States. vi these according
| to the last census, only 1857, 1l2 were
| engaged in any form of manufactures or
| mining, and OF these not more than !
| by any stretch of the imagination can
be considered as built up by the tariff.
| Take for example brick makers who
| number 26,370; Brick and stone ma,
sons who number 102, ,473; carpenters
| and joiners who number 373, l43 paint
ers and yarnishers who number rs
b56; plasterers. who number 22,OS.;
feofers and skaters who number 4,02j;
shinglc and lath makers who number
5, l6G, sn / all other classes OF nisshanicc
who assist ii bull ding houses.
How are they helped by the tsri #?
Surely John Bull will not import
houses, even il we had no tariff at all.
What these mechanics want 81
cheaper material, SO that more houses
will be b,it. Take OFF the tariff duties
ishin2 0! houses, and you red uce the cost
at le.+s! on. third, and that of course
means more houses and if more hous g
then more gark, and if more work that
means higher wages, and the larger the
demand the better the price.
So with the great army of blacksmiths
numbering l72, ,726, how in the world
can t,riff help them? What they
want Is cheap iron, cheap steel, and
cheap materials generally, so that more
people can afford to buy the articles
they create, so that with the increased
demand better prices can be secured.
| So W tn coopers numbering ~, 1888.
miiliners. DIR, ssmakers and seamstresses
numbering 234, ,22S; .tailors and tailor
esses numbering l33, 755, and so with
hundred other Industries numbering
nearly 100000 more, not one of whom
is helped by the tariff, but every one of
whom is hurt by it:
We see therefore that out of all those
employed in manufacturing industries
less than 100000; by any possibility,
can be helped by a high tariff.
Admitting for the sake of argument
that our protective tariff actually does
support one million of operatives, does
it seem good policy to tax the other
100000 OF WORKERS from 80 10 so per
cent on all they buy in order to keep
up this one million? would it not be
better to pension them and let them
DO nothing for the balance OF their
lives?
How about 100000 of farmers, for
whom, outside OF wool, rice and sugar
,roducels no one can show any di-
rect benefit from the tari fl ? is it fair to
fleece them OF at least / Of their earn
ings for the benefit of the protected one
million?
So with tho 100000 who render
services, and who are neither mechan-
les nor farmers, is it fair to toll them
of their earnings for the benefit of the
favored l,O0l,uJU?
The truth is this whole protection
business is All outrage upon the many
for the bsneiit of the few.
By the iew l do not mean the entire
million OF those We have been talking
about, but only the few thousands OF
them, who as capitalists have bagged
: the money. The pig-iron kings, the
| lumber lords, the anthracite coal bar
: ons, and the salt nabobs are the fel-
lows who have reason to glorify pro-
] lection.
The claim, however, that tariff for
revenue only would destroy these in
, dustrits is all foolishness. 1t would
, lower prices doubtless, but the demand
would he SO much greater that the in
= creased sale although at lower profit
1 would enable them to make as much
7 money as before, and injure no one.
Nearly all of the. e industries existed
t and fourished in. 1850, and before,
J, under an average tariff of l5 per cent,
: and there never was time in the hist
8 ory OF the country when they were ex-
iinet. In fact under low tariff, manu-
features as whole have fourished
more than at any other period. Mo
nOpolies We're lever, but the general
business of the country was better.
The truth is, the W hole business is to
thWait nature, and is an attempt TO
make water run up hill.
1t is true we can make water run up
hill, if We use force enough, tut it is an
expensive process and rarely pays.
50 in Ohio I suppose We could raise
oranges enough, under glass, for home
consumption il we were compelled to
do so by protective process sufficiently
stringent, and it would make a very
large industry, but it certainly would